Apex Review: Charlize Theron Leads a Beautiful but Lifeless Survival Thriller

I’ve been a cinephile longer than I’ve been a critic, and one thing I’ve learned is this: some movies walk in with everything working in their favor. “Apex” is that kind of film. A survival thriller set against the Australian wilderness, directed by Baltasar Kormákur—a filmmaker who’s delivered real tension before—and led by Charlize Theron, who has built a career out of turning physical endurance into compelling cinema. Add Taron Egerton and Eric Bana, and you expect something that grabs you and doesn’t let go. Instead, “Apex” keeps you at a distance.

The setup is strong: a grieving woman retreats into isolation, only to find herself caught in a calculated and deadly hunt. It’s a premise built for tension—the kind that should tighten with every passing scene. But the film moves at a deliberate pace that too often drifts into routine. Moments that should feel urgent land softly, and the sense of danger never quite takes hold the way it should.

To its credit, the film is visually striking. The landscapes of Sydney and New South Wales are captured with a pristine, almost hypnotic beauty. Cinematographer Lawrence Sher, coming off the visual energy of “The Bride!”, keeps everything polished and composed. The problem is that the imagery feels more comfortable than threatening. For a story rooted in survival, there’s a noticeable lack of grit beneath the surface.

The performances follow a similar path. Theron is steady and committed, but the role never pushes her into deeper emotional territory. It’s controlled when it should feel raw. Egerton brings presence, but the material keeps him circling familiar beats rather than breaking new ground. Bana, always reliable, does what he can with limited screen time. These are actors capable of elevating a film, yet here they’re confined to maintaining it.

That’s where the disappointment settles in. As a fan of Kormákur’s work—and of the survival genre, especially stories that place women at the center of the fight—you keep waiting for “Apex” to lock in, to find that edge that separates good from memorable. It never quite gets there.

“Apex” has the look and cast of a survival thriller, but not its urgency.

Final Grade: C-

“Apex” releases today on Netflix, Friday, April 24.